1. Field of the Description
The present description relates, in general, to airport security and techniques for improving the security screening process at airports in terms of efficiency and personal experience. More particularly, the present description relates to an airport security screen system that may combine carts, each adapted for use in airports to facilitate passenger divestment of carry-on and personal items prior to checkpoint queues, with specialized or conventional screening devices to improve efficiency of airport security screening checkpoints.
2. Relevant Background
Air travel has become increasingly popular for travel from one destination to another, and, as a result, large numbers of people pass through airports. This presents a potential target for terrorism including airplane hijacking. Airport security processes have been developed to prevent harm to aircraft, passengers, and crew as well as to support national security and counter terrorism.
Generally, after obtaining an airline-issued ticket, passengers are screened through airport security into areas where the exit gates to the aircraft are located, with these areas being considered secure or sterile (or airside). Passengers are discharged from aircraft into the secure and airside areas so that they do not have to be re-screened prior to boarding a connecting, domestic flight. At the security screening checkpoint, each passenger is typically required to present a valid identification along with the ticket or boarding pass. Each passenger must also typically personally pass through a metal detector or advanced imaging technology unit while their personal items (e.g., items that may set of the metal detector) and carry-on items and luggage are passed through a scanner (e.g., an X-ray imaging device) via a conveyor belt.
Each country may have numerous security screening practices and restrictions, but each generally involves removing or divesting a number of items from your person and from your carry-on luggage to facilitate proper personal screening and scanning of carried items. Using the present restrictions in the United States as an example, passengers typically have to pass through a metal detector. Each passenger may have to remove metal objects including coins, belts, jewelry, and electronics such as phones, handheld computers, and so on from their pockets and place these in a security bin that is passed through the scanner on the conveyor belt. Additionally, the passenger is required to remove their shoes and place them in a security bin for separate scanning. If the passenger has to pass through an advanced imaging technology (AIT) device, the passenger may have to remove all items from their pockets and pass these through the separate early-on scanner or X-ray machine.
In addition to preparing themselves, each passenger must remove certain items from their carry-on luggage prior to placing it and the removed items on the conveyor belt for X-ray scanning. For example, U.S. airport security presently requires all laptop computers, full-size video game consoles, DVD players, and video cameras to be removed from carry-on bags and submitted separately in plastic security bins for X-ray screening. The passenger also may have to remove their coats and jackets and pass these through scanner for inspection. Further, U.S. airline passengers can only take 3 ounce or smaller containers of liquid or gel onto an aircraft, and all of these containers needs to fit into a single 1 quart clear plastic, zip-top bag, and this clear plastic bag, which many use to hold all their toiletries and the like, also has to be removed from carry-on bags and placed in a security bin for scanning separate from the carry-on bag (e.g., with the passenger's shoes in one of the plastic security bins).
Anyone who has recently traveled by air understands that one of the largest delays and points of congestion occurs at the airport security checkpoint. Business and other experienced travelers are mixed with those inexperienced with air travel and with security requirements. Additionally, families traveling with smaller children typically find the airport security checkpoints particularly stressful as they must help their children through the scanning process and infants and children have to be taken out of carriers and strollers and carried through the metal detector while the carriers and strollers have to go separately through the X-ray scanner on the conveyor belt.
The process is typically very inefficient as the complete divestment process occurs in the security screening queue, with passengers trying to hurry to remove or divest all their items that have to be separately screened from their person and carry-on bags into security bins. The bins with their personal items, electronics, liquids, and the like and their carry-on luggage are then placed on the security screening belt for inspection by airport security. Many travelers will require multiple security bins for all of the their items, and items will often be forgotten or last minute security requirements will be identified (e.g., trying to finish a drink, asking for a clear plastic back, throwing away shampoo and other gels/liquids that are too large in volume, removing additional jewelry or a belt, and the like). All of these issues lead to a rushed and stress-filled experience for nearly all travelers including those who have no carry-on luggage as they are delayed by fellow travelers that, in turn, feel even more hurried by those waiting behind them in the queue. Further, these issues lead to traveler inefficiencies and problems moving smoothly through the security queue, which leads to stop and starts and idle time for scanning machines and security personnel (e.g., waiting for travelers to initially load bins and then remove additional items for scanning upon failure to pass through a metal detector or upon learning of scanning procedures at the security queue).
Hence, there remains a need for improvements that enhances the efficiency of the airport security screening process. Preferably, such improvements would allow individuals and families to more effectively pass through metal detectors and X-ray scanners in a more prompt and enjoyable manner (e.g., with less last-minute divestment of personal and carry-on items from their person or bags, with anxiety over meeting existing security requirements, and so on). Additionally, the improvements would preferably provide benefits to the airport operations and to efficiency and effectiveness of security screening process. These benefits may include less congestion in security check points and increased efficiency in use of both scanning equipment and security personnel.